---
layout: docs
page_title: Change your license
description: >-
  Migrate your Vault enterprise deployment to a new license.
---

> [!IMPORTANT]  
> **Documentation Update:** Product documentation, which were located in this repository under `/website`, are now located in [`hashicorp/web-unified-docs`](https://github.com/hashicorp/web-unified-docs), colocated with all other product documentation. Contributions to this content should be done in the `web-unified-docs` repo, and not this one. Changes made to `/website` content in this repo will not be reflected on the developer.hashicorp.com website.

# Change your Vault license

@include 'alerts/enterprise-only.mdx'

<Tip title="Assumptions">

  - You have an available Vault Enterprise license key.
  - You have admin privileges for your Vault deployment environment.

</Tip>

Vault Enterprise automatically looks for valid license information in the
following locations:

Priority | Location             | Variable / Field
:------: | -------------------- | ----------------
1        | Environment variable | [`VAULT_LICENSE`](/vault/docs/commands#global-vault_license_path)
2        | Environment variable | [`VAULT_LICENSE_PATH`](/vault/docs/commands#global-vault_license)
3        | Config file          | [`license_path`](/vault/docs/configuration#license_path)


To change your current Vault Enterprise license:

1. Run [`vault version`](/vault/docs/commands/version#version) to confirm the
   build date of your Vault binary is before the expiry date of your license
   key. Vault will not start if the applied license is expired.
1. Access the run environment for your Vault cluster.
1. Run [`vault license get`](/vault/docs/commands/license/get) to review the
   features associated with the current license. For example:
1. Run [`vault license inspect`](/vault/docs/commands/license/inspect)
   to verify the new license and review and changes to feature support.
1. Save the current license key to a backup parameter or file.
1. Replace the current license key with the new license key.
1. Call the
   [`/sys/config/reload/license`](/vault/api-docs/system/config-reload#reload-license-file)
   endpoint on each standby node for the cluster. Refreshing the license on
   standby nodes first reduces potential disruptions if you run into problems.
1. Call the
   [`/sys/config/reload/license`](/vault/api-docs/system/config-reload#reload-license-file)
   endpoint on the leader node for the cluster.
1. Run `vault license get` on each node or review the unseal logs for each node
   to verify the new license applied correctly.